Jack Le Brocq back in top 10, but ranked 14th in qualifying
MSR driver has eight top 10 qualifying results, versus 12 top 10 finishes
Le Brocq returned to top 10 with brace of ninth places finishes in Townsville
Jack Le Brocq heads to Perth back in the top 10, but team owner Matt Stone knows improvement is needed in qualifying to stay there.
Matt Stone Racing veteran Le Brocq shrugged off a practice hiccup to power back into the top 10 in the champion at the NTI Townsville 500, albeit at the expense of Ford rival James Golding.
The #4 Sherrin Rentals Camaro driver didn't have it all his own way either, though, starting the 200km races from 20th and 15th.
Le Brocq brought home dual finishes of ninth to make it four top 10 finishes in his last five starts, a run only punctuated by a solid 11th in the Townsville opener.
However, a record of eight top 10 starts in 22 attempts this season has kept Le Brocq and rookie engineer Oli Boone busy in the races, something Stone wants to resolve.
"Overall, Townsville was a really positive weekend for our team,” Stone said.
"To jump a few garages in pit lane and come away with seventh in the teams' championship and Jack back into the drivers' championship top 10 is a great reward for the effort everyone has been putting in back at the workshop.
"We know we've got some work to do to improve our one-lap qualifying pace, but our race pace was genuinely encouraging, so we'll take the positives and keep building as we head to Perth.”
Given 90% of Perth races have been won from the first two rows of the grid, any hopes of a first victory of 2026 require a major turnaround for Le Brocq.
Le Brocq wants to keep his fate in his own hands, but like Stone, knows one-lap speed must improve.
"The car really came alive during the races,” Le Brocq said of Townsville.
“We're confident that we can keep fighting towards the front of the grid as the we cross over into the second half of the season.
"There's still plenty to improve in qualifying, but if we can tidy that up and keep our race speed where it is, we'll give ourselves a great opportunity over the next few rounds before the crucial cut-off for Finals contention."
Le Brocq is 11 points clear of Golding heading to the Bosch Power Tools Super 440, which commences on July 31.
